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Salazar concerned about Shell's Arctic 'mishaps'

Ken Salazar says he would withhold judgment about recent Shell accidents until a full review is repeated. | AP Photo

Shell’s spill containment system was damaged during a test last year, but it was able to complete the preparatory work, such as creating a mudline cellar for the blowout preventer. And approval of the Arctic Challenger, Shell’s oil spill response barge, was repeatedly delayed because the company hadn’t completed work on the vessel.

The Kulluk ran aground on an island off the coast of Alaska on Dec. 31 and was towed to a safe harbor in Kiliuda Bay on Monday. Shell’s ability to do any work in 2013 may be in jeopardy even before the Interior review is complete.

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Under the current permit requirements, the company must have two rigs on-site so that one can drill a relief well in the event of a spill. With the Kulluk potentially sidelined with damages, it’s unclear whether it will be available in time for drilling season. Unified Command for the Kulluk incident said that remote-operated vehicles assessed the hull of the rig on Tuesday.

“I expect sometime over the next three to four months, or before that, [Shell] will make a determination on whether they have the capacities to meet the permit requirements,” Salazar said. “If they don’t meet the permit requirements, we won’t let them go forward.”

Salazar also extended the charter of the OESC committee Wednesday, which was set to expire next month.

“We need your help and your service as we move forward,” Salazar told the committee. Interior will look at the OESC charter to see how it needs to be changed to reflect the “realities of our time.” During his remarks, five protesters stood silently in the audience with signs bearing quotes and headlines about Shell’s problems in the Arctic.